Inflection
by Hatake Kazumi
Summary: 'Uchiha Obito used to be a naïve boy. He used to help people. He used to be righteous. He used to be kind. He used to believe in justice. He used to…' Takes place during the Kakashi vs Obito fight. Slight ObiKaka if you squint, and shake it with fries. Kinda short drabble.


**Note:** Takes place during the Kakashi vs Obito fight of Naruto Shippuden episode 375. For those who hadn't watched it, you should; it had been praised by many people many times as one of the best fight in series, maybe even in the whole history of anime.

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><p>Obito knew that he shouldn't take it too far; the Moon Eye plan was taking too long to complete as it is, with the Nine-tails jinchuuriki talking high and mighty about his righteous belief and Madara acting unpredictable, a wild card that is useful but highly dangerous enough to act as a double-edged sword.<p>

By all means, the years of acting as the master planner behind the mask of the Akatsuki, he should be desperate enough to act quickly –as he could practically taste the victory on the edge of his tongue, the activation of the Infinite Tsukuyumi so close, so _close_, but all he could think about right now is beating his silver-haired former teammate down to the ground.

Sparks flew once again the darkness of the Kamui as Kakashi's kunai clashed against the metal rod sprouted from his hand. He smirked darkly, while his own Sharingan gleamed in the jounin's left eye socket.

They spoke –not with words, but with their bodies, in this desperate act for control, the advantage shifting between them like an unbalance egg on top of the tip of a bull's horn. A fist connected with his left arm, and Obito retaliated by punching Kakashi's midriff. The younger man let out a pained grunt before slashing outwards.

Being the real leader of the Akatsuki, Obito was usually hidden in the shadows, clocked in the darkness as he pulled the strings from behind the face of the goofball, Tobi. It was funny how no one could figure out his real identity, instead chewing down on the bone that he was really who he said he was –the greatly feared Uchiha Madara. That fear was one of the reasons of why he was unbeatable on the battlefield. There is fear in the name, and his was Madara, for a moment of time. Opponents stopped in their tracks, insane with discourage, in the face of the ninja who wreck such havoc that even the heavens exploded crimson with fury. Obito was not weak, and those ninjas posed no such a treat that even he, who used to be a dead last, could best them with barely a fist raised.

Wood style, Sharingan, Mangenkyo Sharingan, Kamui, quick regeneration… and now the all-powerful Rinnegan. Uchiha Obito was a _god_.

Kakashi was flung back with such great force that a crater formed with his impact. Kakashi writhed for a moment, and rolled over to avoid Obito's devastating stomp. He continued to fight with all his might, to fight this endless and fruitless battle, to fight for the goodness of the Shinobi world that was not even there to begin with.

Uchiha Obito used to be a naïve boy. He used to help people. He used to be righteous. He used to be kind. He used to believe in justice. He used to…

Kakashi's face is most exquisite when it's at its most vulnerable. Using a clever distraction, he fooled Kakashi by using his own kunai against him, watching with glee as the silver-haired man slammed into the earthen wall with such force that the copy-nin was lost. Dazed eyes half-lidded barely taking in a blurred surrounding. The Uchiha smiled a little, gripping Kakashi's hair with that dark smirk on his scarred face while he moved in for the kill.

When Team Minato was still active, still whole, still not broken, Obito thought that they were like family. Rin was motherly; Minato was fatherly; Kakashi was standoffishly; and Obito was naively. There were happiness, there were laughter; there was hope.

There is nothing.

Obito let his face schooled off into an unhappy one; he was looking forward to shedding more of Kakashi's sweet blood. The clone looked coolly into Obito's eyes; mismatched against mismatched. He was fooled; he thought the right is wrong and wrong is right and the clone exploded in an electrifying burst, electrocuting him. He let out a gurgled scream. Pain bloomed in his lower jar with a well-aimed up thrust kick from the crouching Kakashi.

He saw him. Obito saw himself, when he was younger. He was beaten, fought the same kind of match he was fighting now. He saw his younger self reaching outwards to a younger Kakashi. The Rinnegan wielder broke off into a run.

One time, he tried to make friends with Kakashi. He offered him a lollipop, one that was given to him by an old woman he had helped. The Hatake had sneered at him, or more specifically at the lollipop, snatched it with an unnatural speed and grace for a seven-year-old, and chucked it at Obito's head. They didn't talk for a week after that.

(Kakashi had that bitter look in his eyes, one that was filled with so much horror, so much terror, that even a lollipop containing a year-worth of sugar couldn't cure that. The lollipop was pure red, just like the countless blood that he had already spilled by that age.)

Obito stopped himself from reaching out, pulling him back into the darkness. The image of younger Kakashi was replaced with an older one wielding a fist full of lightning. They came for each other, with the intention to kill. They came with everything they had.

(Obito used to hope that one day he and Kakashi would stop trying to kill each other.)

Blood splattered haphazardly, as Obito thrust his rod into Kakashi's abdomen and Kakashi ripping apart his old comrade's chest cavity. For a moment, they looked into the each other eyes as the momentum left them hanging in mid-air. For a moment, they studied one another.

For a moment, all they saw was sadness.

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><p><span><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

First, let me say one thing. KYAHHHH! (Squeals)

I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY love this fight in the anime! The way how the advantage shifted from Kakashi and Obito, how they skilfully used hand-to-hand combat, how adult Obito manage to overpower Kakashi several times during their match, in contrary of young Obito who couldn't win against the younger Kakashi. And the music! God! (Claps)

I love the part when Obito kicked Kakashi into the Mud Wall! He looked so dazed and pained….

And Obito! God! You could really see the strength that he was putting into those punches and kicks, how he really wanted to hurt Kakashi! And his dark expressions… Lol, I already watched the video countless times, several of which I slowed down the video a lot, and you could really see how Obito smirks this dark (and sexy) smirk every time he land a punch on Kakashi!

(Squeals) Man, how I wished Kakashi was the one who talked Obito into the good side (or killed him, if you want to go to a darker ending), but nooooooo, everything freaking thing must be about either Naruto or Sasuke! Look, I like those two, but I remember how it was so tiresome watching the whole War arc shifting to Naruto, Sasuke, Naruto, Naruto, Sasuke, Naruto and Sasuke, Naruto and Sasuke, Naruto and Sasuke, and finally…Naruto and Sasuke.

(Face-palms)


End file.
